I wish I had words to adequately articulate how encouraged I am by the stories my squad is sharing. The World Race is a whirlwind, and one may often find themselves tossed to and fro in the turbulence. To create a story out of the turmoil is no small feat, and sharing the inner workings of your own respective personal journey can be daunting.
But how can one’s journey on the Race be truly impactful to others? How can someone’s growth on the Race spur on another to take a similar risk and make a life altering decision?
We all know we relate to the people who look like us. Perhaps we’re intrinsically designed this way, and we all understand this. Black Panther is the number one movie in the world right now and it’s smashing box office records. Many teachers I know working in predominantly black schools are eager to give students the chance to see the movie, based in large part on the premise, “I look like him/her. I can be like him/her too.”
My favorite basketball player growing up was Manu Ginobili. I grew up playing ball with all black friends and teammates. Manu was Hispanic like me baby! He gave me hope! Anytime he hit a game winner or dunked on somebody, I’d let all my boys know. I had a sense of pride. Because Manu embodies me, and all the years Manu never knew. (I say knew because I plan on meeting him one day and letting him know.) #fingerscrossed
We can impact others when we resemble them, sure, but what if we don’t? What’s really the purpose in sharing these stories if they fall on deaf ears?
The Lord instructs us multiple times throughout the Bible that He will make us strong in our weaknesses. I think the more often we take him at his word, the more our words have weight.
Constant questions inherent in many Racers, and most of us, may often sound something like this: “Am I impactful? Could I really live a story, jot it down, find the time to post it in a West African world of insufficient wifi and then hope that it’ll impact someone?”
“What if I lack the poise or charisma or expertise to hold a reader captive.”
“What if my experiences just aren’t that interesting?”
All fair questions, right?
But what if we don’t seem as impactful because we bury the very tools that make our words impactful?
In hiding our weaknesses, we nullify our impact-fulness.
The word impact, and relate, to me, are somewhat synonymous. Anyone who has ever impacted me, has inherently related to me.
You know this feeling.
There’s a moment in your heart in the TED talk or the book or the speech or the movie or the sermon or the conversation with a friend or mentor where you feel a resounding “hmmmmphh” and you say to yourself, “I’ve been there. I understand. I relate.”
To which my general response then morphs into something along the lines of “If this person, who is flawed like me, and struggles like me, has overcome, and actually is still in the process of overcoming, but is courageously living their destiny and facing their fears and doing something meaningful with their life, maybe I can too.”
This is why testimonies are among the first activities World Racers dive into. It binds our stories, and brings us closer, but more importantly, they inspire us. I was lost and now I’m found! Hallelujah! I was a mess and now I’m still a mess but I’m less of a mess than the mess I used to be! Hallelujah! I put some things I struggled with in my rear view to come on the Race and now I’m excited for what new stories my life will lead into. Hallelujah and Amen!
It’s hard to be vulnerable. It’s not fun to show people how much of a mess you used to be, and probably still are. And this never gets easier.
Yet, we all have our individual battles don’t we?
We all either feel not __________ enough to do something or too __________ to do something.
I’m sure each of us have been looking out at the horizon, wanting to achieve or start something, only to be met by those blanks in the back of our heads deterring us from taking the plunge.
One of the bravest things an overcomer can do is leave the door propped on their way in. Each individual has to make the decision to enter the door themselves, but isn’t it always easier when you see people like yourself enter in first.
“Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story,” Psalms 107:2 instructs.
Witnessing the courage of these Racers firsthand has been humbling. The very things that may separate someone from finding the courage to come on this journey, or whatever wild adventure they’re being called into, are also the weapons that make the Racers’ stories so impactful.
You’ve struggled with addiction or depression or body image issues? You’ve had a rough family life or are in the midst of a tragic loss or have deemed yourself broken beyond repair? So has someone else. We all have different stories, yes, but something I’ve stressed to my squad is that we are all on the same journey. Each one of us. We’re just at different parts. We’re all still overcoming. But you, even in your weakness, have the power to turn the very things you may wish to shield from the world into an impactful weapon that encourages others to battle valiantly too. Turns out, we all have what it takes to make a difference.
Thank you all, as always, and adventure on!
